diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 9ddf8868..4ae868dc 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ if(BUILD_AKLITE)
   include(CTest)
   add_subdirectory(tests EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
 
+  if(USE_COMPOSEAPP_ENGINE)
+    add_definitions(-DUSE_COMPOSEAPP_ENGINE)
+  endif(USE_COMPOSEAPP_ENGINE)
   if(BUILD_AKLITE_APPS)
     add_subdirectory(apps/aklite-apps)
   endif(BUILD_AKLITE_APPS)
diff --git a/apps/aklite-apps/cmds.cpp b/apps/aklite-apps/cmds.cpp
index 639ffedb..9b987ad9 100644
--- a/apps/aklite-apps/cmds.cpp
+++ b/apps/aklite-apps/cmds.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@
 #include "docker/docker.h"
 #include "docker/restorableappengine.h"
 #include "http/httpclient.h"
+#ifdef USE_COMPOSEAPP_ENGINE
+#include "ctr/appengine.h"
+#endif  // USE_COMPOSEAPP_ENGINE
 
 namespace fs = std::filesystem;
 
@@ -172,6 +175,23 @@ int RunCmd::runApps(const std::vector<std::string>& shortlist, const std::string
   auto http_client = std::make_shared<HttpClient>();
   auto docker_client{std::make_shared<Docker::DockerClient>()};
   auto registry_client{std::make_shared<Docker::RegistryClient>(http_client, "")};
+#ifdef USE_COMPOSEAPP_ENGINE
+  ctr::AppEngine app_engine{
+      store_root,
+      compose_root,
+      docker_root,
+      registry_client,
+      docker_client,
+      client,
+      docker_host,
+      compose_client,
+      client,
+      80 /* this value is non-op in the case of install/run */,
+      Docker::RestorableAppEngine::GetDefStorageSpaceFunc(),
+      [](const Docker::Uri& /* app_uri */, const std::string& image_uri) { return "docker://" + image_uri; },
+      false,
+      true};
+#else
   Docker::RestorableAppEngine app_engine{
       store_root,
       compose_root,
@@ -185,6 +205,7 @@ int RunCmd::runApps(const std::vector<std::string>& shortlist, const std::string
       [](const Docker::Uri& /* app_uri */, const std::string& image_uri) { return "docker://" + image_uri; },
       false,
       true};
+#endif  // USE_COMPOSEAPP_ENGINE
 
   for (const auto& app : apps) {
     LOG_INFO << "Starting App: " << app.name;
diff --git a/apps/aklite-apps/cmds.h b/apps/aklite-apps/cmds.h
index f1a1a074..f2fc66ef 100644
--- a/apps/aklite-apps/cmds.h
+++ b/apps/aklite-apps/cmds.h
@@ -97,7 +97,12 @@ class RunCmd : public Cmd {
         "store-root", po::value<std::string>()->default_value("/var/sota/reset-apps"), "Image store root folder")(
         "compose-root", po::value<std::string>()->default_value("/var/sota/compose-apps"), "Compose Apps root folder")(
         "docker-root", po::value<std::string>()->default_value("/var/lib/docker"), "Docker data root folder")(
+#ifdef USE_COMPOSEAPP_ENGINE
+        "client", po::value<std::string>()->default_value("/usr/bin/composectl"),
+        "A client to load app images to docker")(
+#else
         "client", po::value<std::string>()->default_value("/usr/sbin/skopeo"), "A client to copy images")(
+#endif
         "compose-client", po::value<std::string>()->default_value("/usr/bin/docker compose "),
         "A client to manage compose apps");
   }
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 932624b3..410b1365 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -55,10 +55,9 @@ if (BUILD_AKLITE_WITH_NERDCTL)
   add_definitions(-DBUILD_AKLITE_WITH_NERDCTL)
 endif(BUILD_AKLITE_WITH_NERDCTL)
 
-if (USE_COMPOSEAPP_ENGINE)
+if(USE_COMPOSEAPP_ENGINE)
   set(SRC ${SRC} ctr/appengine.cc)
   set(HEADERS ${HEADERS} ctr/appengine.h)
-  add_definitions(-DUSE_COMPOSEAPP_ENGINE)
 endif(USE_COMPOSEAPP_ENGINE)
 
 add_executable(${TARGET_EXE} main.cc)